The Canadian agency responsible for investigating transportation accidents called Tuesday for expanding the use of black boxes to include small aircraft operators.
Large commercial jets are already required to carry the lightweight recorders to monitor flight data, which can be used by investigators after an accident to determine the cause of a crash.
The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) is now asking Ottawa to apply the rule to smsall carrier it says were involved in 91 percent of commercial aircraft accidents and 93 percent of aviation fatalities in the last decade in Canada.
The recommendation comes at the conclusion of a probe that failed to determine why a de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter lost control and broke up in flight in the Yukon in March 2011.
The turbine-powered DHC-3 Otter, operated by Black Sheep Aviation and Cattle Co. Ltd, was flying from Mayo to the Rackla Airstrip in the Yukon, a 94-mile (150 kilometer) flight.
Approximately 19 minutes after departure, the aircraft broke up and the pilot, who was the sole occupant, died. A search and rescue helicopter located the wreckage on a hillside northeast of Mayo.
“For decades, recorded flight data has been instrumental in advancing safety for our larger operators,” TSB chair Wendy Tadros said.
“We think flight data monitoring should be an important tool for Canada’s smaller carriers too — a tool to help them manage safety in their operations… and help TSB investigate after an accident.”
Canada agency calls for black boxes in small planes
